Strong pitching — a necessity for Tigers’ second half — on display in win

11:31 PM ET

DETROIT — You know it has been a good night when you can laugh about an errant throw to third base. And that’s exactly what Detroit Tigers starter Matt Boyd did when asked about his bungled attempt at going around the horn after making a nifty grab with his glove to snag Joe Mauer’s line drive in the sixth inning.

Feeling confident after making the catch, he whipped the ball, flat-footed, toward Nick Castellanos, only to have it sail into left field.

“I think I made myself look really athletic, and then about five seconds later I made myself look like a dunce out there,” Boyd joked.

That may have been Boyd’s biggest gaffe of the entire night, so it’s no wonder that the 25-year-old was in good spirits after recording his first win of the season. In his first start out of the All-Star break, Boyd limited the Minnesota Twins to just three hits over six scoreless innings in the Tigers’ 1-0 victory at Comerica Park on Monday night. It set the tone for what was a textbook night of solid pitching, top to bottom — a necessity for the Tigers over the second half of the season.

Matt Boyd earned his first win of the season after limiting the Twins to three hits in six scoreless innings on Monday. Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports

“A lot of credit goes to Matt Boyd, the way he pitched. He used all four of his pitches, but I thought his changeup, at times, was exceptional,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He did an outstanding job.”

Though Boyd saw his pitch count climb early in the game, it wasn’t because of a bevvy of first- and second-pitch balls. Batters were fouling pitches off, but he remained focused and generated swings-and-misses. He employed his …

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